Diamonds fought back to claim a draw against ten-man Bromsgrove following a frantic second half.
The visitors, who had lost five consecutive games before this clash, forged ahead in the sixth minute. A loose ball was played to Ryan Edmunds who steered a first-time strike inside the far post. Michael Taylor almost doubled the lead only to be denied by a goal-saving block, before Dan Sweeney and Taylor were thwarted by two crucial Dean Snedker saves.
Home striker Andy Kanga had a goal ruled out for offside, but they were handed a match-turning boost early in the second half when Bromsgrove defender Kieran Dawes was shown a second yellow card for a foul. Rushden levelled soon afterwards in dramatic circumstances when defender Evangelos Empochontsif swept a close-range effort past the keeper. There were strong appeals from the away side that it hadn’t crossed the line but, following consultation with the assistant referee, the goal was awarded.
The visitors picked up seven yellow cards in total and began to drop deeper, with the hosts laying siege to their goal in search of a late winner. The dangerous Miguel Ngwa fired narrowly over and substitute Jenson Cooper drifted a free header wide in stoppage-time, but Diamonds had to settle for a point as they moved off the foot of the table.
First half
Richard Maxwell made three changes to the side that had been comprehensively beaten 5-1 at Leiston on Tuesday evening. Ryan Hughes, Luis Pinto-Leite and Fraser Corden returned to the starting XI as Rushden continued with a 3-5-2 formation.
Diamonds had lost three consecutive matches ahead of this clash, with Bromsgrove losing five on the bounce, and it was the hosts who initially threatened. Andy Kanga almost released strike-partner Miguel Ngwa through on goal before Charlie Black played a low ball in towards Kanga, but it was intercepted at the last moment.
It was the visitors who took the lead though after only six minutes. An aerial challenge just inside the Rushden area dropped for Michael Taylor, and he laid it back to Ryan Edmunds who cleverly steered an effort inside the far corner with the outside of his foot.
Bromsgrove’s strike pairing, who had scored 14 goals between them so far this campaign, threatened soon afterwards when Dan Sweeney’s header across almost found Taylor, but it just ran out of play. The pair linked up again when Sweeney got in behind and played it across to Taylor, but his goalbound strike was somehow blocked away by Harrison Bunga.
The home side were struggling to maintain possession and contain a dangerous away attack, with Dean Snedker being called into action to parry a strike from Sweeney before the striker blazed over a free-kick in a promising position. Edmunds almost extended his personal tally when he reached a Sweeney cross to the back post, but his strike flew past the post.
After withstanding the pressure in not conceding a potentially game-clinching second goal, Diamonds then ended the half well. A swift break led to Corden feeding Ngwa in the right channel, and his strike from the edge of the box fizzed narrowly over the bar. Two minutes later Black was released down the left and, though his low cross was parried away, Kanga swept home the loose ball for what appeared to be an equalising goal. However, the offside flag was raised to cut the celebrations short.
Moments before half-time, Snedker made a crucial stretching save to deny Taylor’s looping header before Vladimiro Pais’ rebound was charged down.
Half time: AFC Rushden & Diamonds 0-1 Bromsgrove Sporting
Second half
The early exchanges of the second period were relatively quiet, with home captain Nathan Hicks hitting a strike wide from range and Taylor drawing a save from Snedker down the other end. Away right-back Kieron Dawes was then shown a second yellow card, after he had received one towards the end of the first half, following a foul, and Diamonds immediately looked to seize the initiative.
However, it was Bromsgrove who reacted the better to begin with as a corner from the left saw Snedker and captain Thomas Taylor rise. The away man reached the ball first and his looping header dropped towards goal before being hacked away close to the line.
Jack Connor replaced Bunga just before the hour-mark as Diamonds moved to a 4-3-3, and it almost paid immediate dividends as a long ball in behind found Connor running through. He was under pressure though so couldn’t get any power on the strike, and away keeper Oliver Taylor was able to claim.
However, the hosts did equalise moments later. A corner from the right was flicked towards goal, and Evangelos Empochontsif turned the ball past the keeper only for it to be cleared away. The ball ricocheted towards Kanga whose fierce strike hit the crossbar, but referee Joe Woolmer and one of his assistants were already signalling that Empochontsif’s strike had crossed the line. There were fierce appeals from the visitors, but the decision stood and Diamonds were back on level terms.
Diamonds were now full of confidence and sensed a winner. Ngwa stepped away down the left before cutting inside and having a curling attempt parried away. Moments later Nigel Chikamba was introduced for the hardworking Kartell Dawkins, and Ngwa then again came close as he leapt over a challenge and belted a strike just over the bar.
The visitors still represented a sporadic threat on the counter-attack and, with just less than ten minutes left, Pais broke away down the left but ultimately fired into the side-netting.
It was Rushden who continued to press though, and they came close on several occasions during stoppage-time. Corden had a shot blocked before substitute Jenson Cooper was found by a high cross on his own at the back post, but he couldn’t direct it goalwards and the header dropped wide. His cross then deflected up and over the keeper, though it dropped onto the roof of the net and the resulting corner was cleared.
Referee Woolmer blew the full-time whistle to confirm a share of the spoils.
Full time: AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1-1 Bromsgrove Sporting
Though they were helped by the sending-off, Diamonds did well to fight back and find an equaliser before almost claiming victory. They will be disappointed to not get what would have been a vital three points, but Rushden reacted positively to being overrun at times during the first period and control the second 45 minutes.
They face another side in struggling form next Saturday (5 November, 3pm kick-off) as they take on Kings Langley at Hayden Road.
Diamonds Player of the Match: Miguel Ngwa
Attendance: 320
Match report by Ollie Mortimer
Diamonds: Snedker, Dawkins (Chikamba 67), Black, Hughes, Bunga (Connor 59), Corden, Hicks (C), Empochontsif, Pinto-Leite, Kanga (Cooper 76), Ngwa (subs not used: Worsfold-Gregg, Grey)
Diamonds goal: Empochontsif (64)
Diamonds yellows: Empochontsif (44)
Bromsgrove: Oliver Taylor, Kieron Dawes, Ammar Dyer, Joe Curtis, Thomas Taylor (C), Michael McGrath, Vladimiro Pais, Muhammad Sebbeth-Nije, Daniel Sweeney (Zidan Sutherland 82), Michael Taylor (George Forsyth 52), Ryan Edmunds (Callum King-Harmes 75) (subs not used: Liam Armstrong, Dominic Perkins)
Bromsgrove goal: Edmunds (6)
Bromsgrove yellows: Dawes (42, 51), Pais (47), McGrath (63), Dyer (65), Edmunds (72), Sweeney (74)
Bromsgrove reds: Dawes (51)
